Information and Privacy Commissioner

ABOUT THE INFORMATION AND PRIVACY COMMISSIONER

Elaine Keenan Bengts was appointed as the first Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) of the Northwest Territories in 1997. She has since been re-appointed in 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015. Her current appointment expires on October 31st, 2020. Ms. Keenan Bengts was also appointed as the first Information and Privacy Commissioner of Nunavut in early 2000 and she continues to hold that position today. Her current appointment in Nunavut expires in March of 2020.

Elaine has lived in Yellowknife since 1970. She completed her junior high and high school education at St. Patrick’s High School in Yellowknife, graduating in 1976. She attended the University of Alberta and earned a B.A. in Political Science and Economics in 1979 and an LLB in 1982. She returned to Yellowknife to article under J. E. Richard with the firm then known as Searle, Richard, Kingsmill. She continued in her practice with that firm for three years before opening her own firm in 1988. In addition to her responsibilities as the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the NT and NU, she continued her law practice until December, 2014, focusing her practice in the area of family law.

Ms. Keenan Bengts is married and has three daughters and five grandchildren. She is active in the community and has spent many volunteer hours working with youth sports, the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society of the Northwest Territories and the Yellowknife Community Foundation, among others.